Strangeway
by mookies
Summary: Deception was no stranger to this village. Only two people know the truth about the Shikon no Tama, and both have sworn never to speak of it ever again. However, no one was expecting the Lord of the Western Lands to get involved... AU. Sess/Kag


a/n: My first Sess/Kag ficcy! Yaaaaay~ It'll also be one of my more serious, darker fics. I usually write comedy but it's always good to test your range, I think.

Setting is the Feudal Era. Demons and humans roam the lands, demons hate humans, blah blah blah. And Kagome and Kikyou are related (the shock!). Oh and yes, almost every one of the Inuyasha cast (the main characters, anyway) will make an appearance at one point or another. And I know that strangeway is not a real word. Sounds nice though, right?

Also, there are things mentioned in this chapter that will become important later on. :)

Enjooooy~

* * *

She was sitting by herself, veiled by darkness and raging thoughts when she was approached by her mother.

"Kikyou? Where is Kagome?"

The woman with long, silky black hair and dressed in the garbs of a priestess turned towards the older female standing behind her, a worried expression etched on her face. "She went out to gather herbs, mother."

"By herself?" Questioned Ikuko, mother of three. At her eldest's nod, she sighed and ran a tired hand through her short, wavy locks. "She knows I don't like it when she goes out by herself. Why didn't she take Souta with her?"

"Souta is out training with Kohaku. Kagome did not wish to bother him," Kikyou replied, only to clench the beads she was holding in her dainty hands as her mother began to voice her concerns and her tone increased in pitch. "She knows that he wouldn't mind! She knows how dangerous it is for her to go out alone! Why didn't she—!"

"Mother," Kikyou interrupted, waiting until Ikuko had quieted to continue. "Kagome is reckless, but she is not a fool. She can take care of herself."

Ikuko inhaled a deep breath of air to calm herself, as she knew that her daughter was right. Regardless of how much trouble Kagome found herself in, she somehow always managed to find some unconventional manner to save herself. But… "You're right. I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean to yell. It's just, ever since the whole Shikon no Tama incident, my nerves have been…"

Kikyou's dark eyes closed. "I understand."

"It's been rough for all of us," Ikuko murmured before wiping her hands on a nearby cloth. "Well, I'm sure she'll be back soon. Tell me when she returns, alright?" With that said, the Higurashi matriarch disappeared into another room, leaving a sullen miko with impossibly dark eyes in her wake.

'_If_ she returns,' Kikyou mused.

* * *

**Strangeway**

* * *

"I know you're there."

He heard the voice, but he deliberately chose to ignore it. After all, he had no obligation to answer.

"I'm starting to think that you _like_ coming here," the person—a female—accused.

Again, he didn't reply. Also, he didn't leave. He remained in his spot, his back leaning against a large tree that offered an ample amount of shade in the summer heat. He had been here first, and he had no intention of leaving because of a mere human who couldn't mind her own business.

Finally, a dark haired woman emerged from the brush. Her eyes—a remarkable gray—were already focused solely on him, and she was smiling as if she was pleased to see him. He would never understand humans—especially this one. She didn't cower in the presence of a demon: an _almighty_ _powerful_ _demon whose mere name struck fear in the hearts of others_. "What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru-sama?" The female questioned in a tone one typically used for speaking to a friend.

As expected, he didn't answer. He tended to do that a lot: she would ask him something, he would answer with silence. Most of the time, their conversations (if they could even be called that) consisted of her doing all the talking. He only spoke when he felt the need to insult her or scoff at something outrageous she had said. It had bothered her before (and had resulted in many one sided arguments on her part) but she had grown accustomed to it. She supposed one tended to think they were above speaking to others when their title consisted of the words 'Lord of the Western Lands.' Oh, and when they were pure blooded demons with an insane amount of power.

It was alright, though. Having him as company was enough for her.

Seeing that his mouth was still sealed shut, she continued speaking. "Ah, I get it. This must be your hiding spot. Why you've chosen this particular place is a bit odd though. Since you're so close to the village, I mean. Then again, as long as you're away from Jaken, I suppose you don't really care."

Silence was her only response, so she moved to sit beside him. He did not protest, and he still didn't move.

Kagome let out a relaxed sigh once she was settled and she stared out into the brush. After a moment of silence, she spared her demon companion a glance.

"Since you won't ask what I'm doing here, I'll tell you of my own discretion," she said. "Kikyou-nee needed some herbs, but she had some things she needed to take care of so she asked me to get them for her. She's been very busy, you know, because a pandemic seems to have broken out in the neighboring village, and it appears to be spreading to our village now. It's kinda scary. Only two people have contracted the illness so far but it's only a matter of time before more people get sick."

Sesshoumaru made no comment so she went on to say, "Kikyou-nee says she's never seen anything like it. She's worried. And it's starting to show."

She sighed, lifted her knees, and rested her head on her hands. "I wish I could do more to help…"

Sesshoumaru could have told her one way she could help right then and there. It had to do with the basket sitting innocently besides her. How she had completely forgotten about it was beyond him. Then again, she had proven time and time again that she was awfully strange. Thoughtful, but a bit dense, as well. Yet, he didn't utter a word. If she wanted to waste her time then so be it. It made no difference to him, and he didn't care.

"I certainly hope demons can't catch this disease," Kagome loosely commented, her gray eyes shining in mirth as she watched him from the corners of her eyes. Seeing that he had no intention of answering, she said, "That's when you say, 'of course demons of my caliber cannot contract human illnesses you foolish girl,'" she teased, lowering her voice in a poor imitation of his.

"Do not mock me," Sesshoumaru finally warned.

"Well, I have to get you to talk somehow," Kagome defended. "Aren't you sick of listening to me ramble on and on?"

Sesshoumaru ignored the bait. He wasn't going to let a silly little girl get the better of him.

"See?" She pressed. "That's answer enough."

She was irritating. Almost as irritating as Jaken. As if to prove this, she kept speaking. "If you don't want me to talk then say so."

As if he needed her permission. "Be quiet."

Surprisingly, she quieted. Of course, only for a brief second.

"I didn't think you would actually say that," she voiced, clearly surprised.

Not only was she irritating but she was also a fool. She had told him to tell her to shut her mouth and she was acting surprised when he actually told her to do so. There was something obviously wrong with her.

And…he was already tired of her and she had yet to be there for a full ten minutes.

Finally remembering the abandoned basket, Kagome realized she had somewhere to be. She stood and brushed off the strands of grass off her dark blue kimono that had white stripes scattered here and there. Just as she turned to depart, she threw him one last glance. "Don't your friends get concerned when you disappear for long periods of time?"

"I have no friends," the male snapped. "I have no need for such trivialities."

Kagome smiled all knowingly. "Then what am I?"

"An annoyance."

The smile widened. "You say that but you always come back…"

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed at her. "Do not—"

"—mock this Sesshoumaru. I know, I know," she uttered while adjusting the basket in her hands. "Well, these herbs aren't going to carry themselves to Kikyou-nee! I'll see you some other time, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She said with a wave before departing.

Only when she was gone did Sesshoumaru bother looking in her direction.

She was foolish. Only honor drove his motives, nothing else. He did not care for her abnormal insistence to see him, or for that ridiculous smile she wore whenever she was around him. That girl, with her plethora of emotions and overwhelming presence, was an oddity.

In other words, he did not understand her, and he didn't like things he didn't understand. However, his mother had insisted that she knew something about the scandal surrounding his half-breed brother (it would figure), so it was up to Sesshoumaru to continue with his _investigation_. He particularly did not care much for Inuyasha, but his actions were starting to bring shame upon the bloodline, and as heir, it was up to Sesshoumaru to fix it.

Even if it meant interacting with chatty human girls.


End file.
